Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has made it clear that his team is not getting carried away by their victory over Rwanda as they prepare to face Zimbabwe on Tuesday in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo.
A Victor Osimhen brace secured a 2-0 win against Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, giving Nigeria their first victory in the qualifiers.
The result also marked a successful debut for Chelle as Super Eagles coach.
However, the Franco-Malian tactician insists that the focus is now solely on Zimbabwe.
“I was happy for my players and for the country, but it was just one game. We had a good session yesterday to prepare for the game tomorrow,” Chelle said during the pre-match press conference.
“I just want to talk about the game against Zimbabwe and not the future. We just want to win and continue from there.”
Troost-Ekong: ‘Super Eagles 100% focused on Zimbabwe'
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong echoed his coach’s sentiment, stressing the importance of putting the Rwanda victory behind them and focusing on the next challenge.
“The win over Rwanda is in the past. So, we are focused 100% on the game against Zimbabwe tomorrow.,” the defender said.
Against a motivated Zimbabwe side, we just want to rise to the occasion and win.”
The last meeting between both teams ended in a 1-1 draw in Butare, Rwanda last November, with Walter Musona scoring for Zimbabwe before Kelechi Iheanacho, who is not in the current squad, equalizing for Nigeria.
With kick-off set for 5 PM Nigerian time at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, the Super Eagles will be looking to build on their recent win and strengthen their push for World Cup qualification.
